Wire-drawing machine



Jan. 5, 1926. 1,568,793

' C. E. ATKINS WIRE DRAWING MACHINE Filed NOV.. 18, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l A TTORN E YS.

Jan. 5 Y, 1926; 1,568,793 c.E. ATKlNs f .WIR DRAWING MACHINE Filed Nov. 18, 1924 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

' A TTORNEYS.

CY/aren ce f uff/Eins.

Patented Jan. 5, 1926.

UNITEDSTATES PATENT omen.

` yCVI'JARENG'III E. ATKINS, OF EAST PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOIR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE WATERBURY FABREL FOUNDB'Y AND MACHINE C0., 0F v 'WATERBUBY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 0F (L'Ofhl'lil'IECTIQIIT` i wma-DRAWING MACHINE.

Application filed November 18, 19251. Serial No'. 750,648.

dence and State of Rhode Island, have inv vented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Drawing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the construction and operation of wire-drawing machines, and has for its object toprovide simple and ei'ective means whereby the drawing-in action of the mechanism may be started very slowly so as not to rupture the wire and then accelerated to speed up the action of the machine. e v A further object of the: invention is a provision of means for returning the wire-engaging members to their starting point and reducing the speed of this return stroke ready for the next initial draft stroke.

The invention further consists in the provision of'a pair of speed control clutches which are driven at different speeds, the higher speed clutch being moved to take up the draft load adually and speed it up away from the riving action ofthe slower clutch so as not to rupture the workduring the change of speed.

A still further object of the invention is a provision 'of latch and trippcr mechanism through which thelclutch mechanism is operated by the traveling movement of the wire grippers, both on its retarding mechanism applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a Side elevation of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 1. v

.Y "Figure 3 is a-perspective view of the latch and trppermechanism.

draftstroke and rer turn stroke.

l i gine 4 is a sectional side elevation showing one of the latches and a spring normally pressing the latch into engaged position.

Figure 5 is a face view of the roll controlled clutch. i y y e Figure 6` is a diagrammatic view illustrating the drivingclutch mechanism through which the accelerating and retardare obtained.4 l

A wire drawing machine of this character particularly that operating von hollow wire is usually obliged to start its draft stroke slowly so as not to rupture the wire in starting the same through the draw plate and this slow draft stroke continues throughout the length of the stroke, which movement is -ing speedsof the wire gripping members -found to be considerably slower than the wire will stand after it has been started, and

therefore the production of the machine is considerably curtailed, toobviate whichdifficulty, I have arranged mechanism whereby the initial draft stroke will be very slow and directl after h aving been started, I have provi ed means forgreagtly acceleratou i ing this stroke, also I have provided means I whereby the last end of the return. stroke of the wire-drawing'mechanism is caused to re-` set the mechanism so that the next initial draft stroke will be slow; and the following is a detailed description of the present embodiment of my invention showing one means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished With reference to the drawings, 10 desig- 'means of a chain 12 which isI fast tothe rear thereof and passes over the s rocket 13 at `the rear end of the machine t encel around the sprocket at the front end of the machine nates the frame of the usual wire-drawing back to engage the portion 71 of the jawcarrying mechanism, whereby these jaws may be moved to make a draft stroke and then return to their starting position to engage the end of the next piece of wire to be drawn. e

As it isfound in practice of advantage,

to start the draft 'strke slowly andV subsequently yaccelerate the same to increase the production of the machine, I have provided a driving mechanism which is diagrammatically laid out in Figure 6, the same com rising a main' driving pulley 15-mounte on the drive shaft 16 to be driven by a belt from any convenient source. On this shaft is xed a` relatively small gear 17vengaging a larger gear 18 for imparting a relatively slow movement to the jack shaft 19 through the roll clutch 20, a part of which is-shown as being carried by large gear 18. This roll clutch is provided with an innerl disk 21 which is keyed to the shaft 19 and on the face ofthe gear 18 aremounted a plurality of spring-pressed rollers 22 `for engaging. the face of the disk 21 through which shaft 19 may be driven. On shaft 16 is also fixed a larger gear 23 which meshes with a smaller gear 24 loosely mounted on the jack shaft 19. On the face of this gear 24 is a cone clutch member 25 adapted to be engaged by a sliding clutch member 26 keyed to shaft 19, wherebyl when it is desired to speed up shaft 19 over that imparted to it t rough gears 19 and 18 and cluteh20, I throw clutch member 26 into engagement Y with its opposite clutch member 25 and Afriction clutch'26, I vhave provided a latch' r mechanism 44 which is mounted through gears 23 and 24 this shaft 19 is accelerated. The chain 12 is driven through the sprocket ear 13 and a draft motion is imparted to t is sprocket wheel and chain through worm gear 27, worm 2-8, worm shaft 29,- clutch Gear 30, and gear 31 mounted on the jack s aft 19 and a reverse or return motion of this sprocket and chain, and wire grippin member. is imparted through gears 32 xe to jack shaft 19, idler gear 33 and clutch gear 34.

A clutch member 35 is positioned between clutch gears 30 and 34, whereby a movement in one direction engagesclutch member 36 to drivethe grippers on' their draft stroke and in the opposite direction to engage clutch member 37 lto return the grippers to their starting point and this clutch member 35 may be operated through the fork 38, rod 39,-v cross rod 40 and slide rod 41 on which latter rod is mounted the operating handles 42 and 43 so thata man standing at either end of the machine may by'operating handle 42 or 43 either stop or start the travel of the driving 4mechanism in either direction.

In order control the retarding action of the jaws at the latter endV of the return stroke and the-.accelerating of the draft strokedirectly or soon4 after startingethrough the operation of the rollclutch 20 and the and trip on the slide bar-53 in guides 54 and 55 on the side of the frame 10, this tripper mechanism comprising a pair of spring pressed latches so that when moved into engagement with" the fixed block 50,k it will be drawn downwardly into position illustrated in, Figure 3, and 4when the mechanism is moved in the opposite direction this latch 46 willbe released and block 52, on the lower end of latch 45, will engage fixed block 51 andbe withdrawn from its' en aging position.u This slide l,bar 53 is provi ed witha rack 56 AWil-'ich is engaged yby a segmental gear 57 pivoted at '58 on the frame which segment is, provided with an offset crank pin 59 which isengaged by a connecting rod- `60 which rod is connected to operate the clutch member 26 on the jack shaft 19, through the rod 61, connector 62, knee lever 63, rod 64 and connector 65. On the carriage 72 to which the jaws 11 are connected, is mounted a tripper plate 66, the rear edge 67 of 'which engages the upwardly extending latch 45 soon after'the gripping jaws start on their draft stroke and thus cause this tripper `mechanism with lits bar 53 and its rack 56 to` rotate the segmental vgear 57 and so move the vclutch member 26 into eng ement with the clutch gear 24, whereby t e accelerating motion of this clutch gear 24 is driven through gear 23 causing the jack shaft 19 ,to be'accelerated in its speed and through gears 31 and 30 to at once accelerate the draft speed of the gripping jaws, the main drive clutch 35 being of course connected. After this the tripper plate 66 in moving the bar 53 to the left causes the blockl51 to en age .block 52. After the clutch 26 has en thrown in and the speed accelerated, the block 51 engages block 52 and withdraws the latch permittin the plate'66 to pass thereover and along the rame to the end of its draft stroke. Then u on the return of the jaws, the end 70 of this plate 66 engages the now raised latch 46 and causes the bar 53 to move .in position toadvance, and through rack 56,

ing thecspeed 0f the draft stroke is automatically repeated at each operation of the machine. i

The draw bench herein described and illustrated is of the reversing type, but 4my invention of accelerating the speed of the .draw stroke maybe applied equally well to any of the well known types of draw benches.

A tn

. My improved attachment for a wire drawing mac l 1 i1e is very simple and .practical and is effective in its operation and by'its use the production of the machine is greatly increased. i

The foregoingdescription is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire itto'be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the-mechanical changes' to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limlted only by the terms of the appended claims.. claim i ing wire grippers operatively mounted on sald bench, mechanically-,actuated mea-ns for initially imparting a slow drawing-in move.

ment to the grippers, means'for subsequently accelerating this movement, and means Vfor returning said 2. `In a wire bench,*longitudinallytravel- 1n operated to initially :impart arelatively slow drawing-in movement to said grippers and'subsequently accelerating the same, and

drawing-in stroke.

.3. In al draw bench, longitudinally-traveling wire grippers operativel' mounted on said bench, means for initial y imparting a relatively slow drawing-.in'movement to, said means for vreturning said grippers after each grippers, and friction clutch driven mecha! nism for subsequentlyaccelerating the same. 4. In a draw bench, longitudinally-traveling grippers operatively -mounted on said ench, meansl for starting said grippers on l their drawing-in stroke at a slow speed,

automatically actuated means for vshifting the driving mechanism toincrease its draw speed directly after starting, and means for drawing-in movement 'for lexibl accelerat ing said movement directly a ter having started, and means for resetting the slow starting mechanism just prior to finishing the return movement. v v 6. In afdraw bench,longitudinally-travellng wire engaging members operatively mounted on said bench, means for'impartmga drawing-in and a return movement of said members, clutch controlled `mechanism for accelerating said drawing-in movement directly after having started, and latch and tripper mechanism operated by. said draw-.

ing-1n movement for controlling the action of said4 clutch mechanism to increase the working speed.

griPPers after each drawing wire grippers operatively mounted on said bench, a two-speed driving mechanism clutch for subsequently and yie dingly accelerating said movement, and means for resetting- .said draft 4opera-ting .mechanism at the'end of its return stroke to again impart said slow initial motion.

8 In adraw bencl1,'longitudinally traveling wire engaging 'members operatively "mounted on said bench, a relatively slow 1. In a drawv bench, longitudinally-travel-v driving clutch, a relatively fast l'.drvenclutch, means for ope first clutch to impart a relatively slow initial draft motion to said members and 'subsey quently operate through said second clutch rating through said ,to"'yie1ding1yiincrease ,said draft speed* `V means forreturning said members, and 'means operated by said return stroke adjacent theend thereof for releasing the fast longitudinally-travinitial draft motion to said members, automatically shifting vmeans subsequently op.

erating through ysaid second clutch vto -yield- Vingly increase said initial *draft` speed,

means for returning said members, and tripper mechanism operated by saidv return stroke adjacent the end thereof for releasing the fast driving clutch and engaging the slow clutch 'to impart a slow .initial motion to the next succeeding draft stroke.

10. In` a 'draw bench, -longitudinallytraveling wire engaging Amembers operatively mounted on said' bench, means for imparting a drawin -in and areturn movefi10 ment of said mem ers, clutch controlled mechanism for accelerating said drawing-in movement directl after having started, and means operated mechanism `-to increase the Working s eed.

. 11. In a draw bench,v longitu lnallyytraveling wire engaging members :operatively mounted on. said bench, means for initially imparting a relatively sloW draft motion ito said members, meansrincluding a lfriction clutch for 'subsequently and yieldafter having finished the working stroke.

' 12. In. a draw bench, .longitudinallyti'velyvmounted on said slow driving clutch, a" relatively fast driven clutch, means for-operating through said first clutch to imparta relatively slowintial y said drawing-in movement for controlling the action of said clutch' 'ingly accelerating said movement, and means for resetting said draft-'operatlng mechan1smtraveling Wire engaging)` members yoperm euch, a relatively draft motion to said members and subsequently operate through said second clutch to yieldingly increase said draft speed, means for returning said members, and means operated after having finished the 'working stroke for releasing the fast clutch speed, means for returning said members,v

and means operated after having finished the working stroke for releasing thefast driving clutch and engaging the slow driving clutch to impart a slow initial motion to thenext succeeding draft stroke.

14. In: a draw bench, longitudinallytraveling wire grippers operatively mounted on said bench, Jmechanically-actuated means for initially impartinga slow drawing-in movement to the grippers, and faster driving means for taking up the load of the slower driving means before rendering the driving action o' the slower driving means ineffective.

15. In a draw bench, longitudinallytraveling wire grippers operatively mounted cn said bench, mechanically-actuated means including a detent clutch for initially imparting a slow drawing-in movement to the grippers and faster driving means for taking up the load from said clutch to render its driving action ineffective.

16. In a draw bench, longitudinally-travcling wire grippers operatively mounted on said bench, and mechanically-actuated means for imparting a plurality of different speeds to. said grippers during their working stroke.

17. In a draw bench, longitudinally-traveling wire grippers operatively mounted on said bench, mechanically-actuated means for initially imparting a relatively slow drawing-in movement to the grippers, and means for subsequently accelerating this movement.

18. In a draw bench, longitudinally-traveline' wire grippers operatively mounted on said bench, mechanically-actuated means for initially imparting a relatively slow drawing-in movement to the grip ers, means for subsequently accelerating tiis movement, means for returning said grippers after each drawing-in stroke, and means for resetting the operating mechanism after the finish of cach working stroke and before the start of the next working stroke to Iimpart to the grippers their` original starting speed.

19. In a draw bench, lon tudinally-travcling wire engaging mem ers operatively mounted on sald bench, means for initially imparting a relatively slow draft motion to said members, means including a friction clutch for accelerating said movement, 'and means for resetting said draft yoperating mechanism preparatory to again imparting said slow initial motion. l'

20. A wire drawin machine having a wire gripper adapt to have reciprocal movement, a tripper plate' atiixed to the gripper, a rack bar carried by the tripper plate, a pivoted toothed segment inengagement with the rack bar, variable speed gears for controlling the speed of the gripper and clutches for engaging the gears, said clutches being operably related to the segment.

21. A wire drawin 4machine having a wire gripper adapte to have reciprocal movement, a tripper` plate aiiixed to the.

gripper, vertically depressible spring actuated latch bars lying in the path of movement of the tripper plate, a rack bar carried by the tripper plate, a pivoted toothed segment 1n engagement with the rack bar, variy able speed gears for controlling the speed of the gripper and clutches for engagin the gears, `said clutches being operably re ated to the segment.

22. A wire drawin machine having a wire gripper adapte to have reciprocal movement, a tripper plate ailixed to the gripper, vertically depressible spring actuated latch bars lying in the path of movement of the tripper plate, means for drawing. the latch bars downwardly at predetermined stages of movement of the tripper plate, a rack bar carried by the tripper plate, a pivoted toothed segment in engagement with'the rack bar, variable speed gears for controlling the speed of the gripper and clutches for engaging the gears said clutches being operably related to the segment.'

23. A wire drawing machine having a wire gripper adapted to have reciprocal movement, a tripper plate aiiixed to the gripper, vertically depressible spring actuated latch bars lying 1n the athof movement of the trip er plate an adapted to be engaged by an moved with the tripper plate, means for automatically disengagin the latch bars from the tripper plate, a rac bar carried by the tripper plate, a ivoted toothed se ment in engagement witht erack bar, varia le speed gears for controlling the speed of the gripper and clutches for engaging the gears, said clutches being operab y related to the segment.

24. A wire drawin machine having a wire gripper adapte to have reciprocal movement, a tripper plate affixed to the gripper, vertically depressible spring actuated latch bars lying in the path of movement of the tripper plate and adapted to be engagedby and moved therewith, means for automatically disengaging the lath bars rack bar carried by the tripper plate, a pivoted toothed segment in engagement with the rack bar, variable speed gears for controlling the speed of the gripper and clutches for engaging' the gears, sald clutches being operably related to theisegment. Y

In testimony whereof I ax my signature` CLARENE E. ATKINS. 

